No Other Name

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:12 (ESV)

Every Christmas, we are reminded of the Babe in a manger. The long-awaited Messiah had come to redeem God’s people, made manifest as a servant to the Father’s love, lying in a makeshift crib.
This was a stark contrast to the kingly throne that everyone had expected.

Unfortunately, we get so caught up with porcelain nativities that we forget the implications of the coming of Christ. We fret over tracking packages and get mad at the postal service when they are running behind schedule. We get so caught up with our earthly gift-giving that we forget to be good gift-getters; we forget to remember the gift of grace, hidden in the image of a baby boy.

Without the message of salvation, what reason have I to celebrate the birth of a baby? Without the resurrection, what reason have I to rejoice in the coming of a child? Without the commandment to make disciples, what reason have I to spend my money on other peoples’ silly wants?

The answer is none.

Without any of these things, we have no reason to celebrate the Christmas season. The coming of the Son signifies the coming of redemption. The resurrection of Christ confirms that the baby was the chosen instrument of sacrifice, offered up as a propitiation for our sins. The Great Commission reminds us to trace the Gospel in all things, for it to always be on our hearts.

This has been my prayer for this Christmas season, that the Lord might help me trace the Gospel through the thicks and thins of the holidays, that He would remind me that the God-child’s birth was not simply another day to observe each year, but rather a cosmos-altering night in Bethlehem that has everlasting implications.

Right now it is raining outside, and to be honest school and work has been so stressful that I feel robbed of the Christmas season for another year. It seems to have passed as quickly as it came, yet again. I have not been able to spend the amount of time as I wish I could have hanging out with the family or decorating. It has really began to feel like this every December.

But I’m at peace. My heart is rejoicing. I want to lavish others with gifts and Christmas joy because I have been lavished with the ultimate gift of salvation and an eternal joy in Christ.

Avoid getting caught up in the earthly constraints of Christmas — they are fleeting. Don’t stress about what you will cook for dinner. Don’t worry about if you bought good enough gifts for everybody. It isn’t neccessary. The King has come, and He will never be thwarted — that is where our joy should lie.

Our eyes rest on the second advent. Christ is coming back to get His children, and when He comes, the glory of God will be in its fullest, and we have the honor of taking part in it all.

“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Luke 2:10–11 (ESV)